Establishing Campus Admission Policies

Policy Statement

1. Introduction

   Indiana University is committed to the goals of quality, full diversity, and access in its admissions policies. The University will strive to have an undergraduate student body whose members are well-qualified for the University’s courses and programs and who represent the full range of diversity within our state, nation, and world.

   Indiana University will base its admission decisions on the academic quality of the applicants; no one will be denied admission on grounds of sex, age, race, religion, ethnic origin, veteran status, disability, and sexual orientation. In its admission policies, Indiana University supports and complies with Affirmative Action regulations.

   Indiana University will base its admission decisions on an overall evaluation of applicants’ merits, strengths, and weaknesses. Applicants should demonstrate combinations of academic preparation, aptitude, motivation, and maturity that promise success in Indiana University’s academic programs. Indiana University does not use a rigid set of rules. Admission to the University is at the discretion of the University.

2. Academic Preparation

   Indiana University has adopted the following standards for academic preparation to ensure that its undergraduate students are properly prepared for college work. All persons applying for admission to baccalaureate programs should complete, before they matriculate, at least thirty (30) courses/credits of college-preparatory courses, advanced placement courses, and/or college courses [NOTE: the phrase “one course/credit” means a typical, one-semester course, such as a one semester course in high school, a three credit-hour college semester course, or a four credit-hour college quarter course], including:

   • eight credits of English, of which one credit may be speech and one credit may be journalism;
   • four credits of algebra and two credits of geometry or an equivalent six credits of integrated algebra and geometry;
   • four credits of social science consisting of two credits of U.S. history and two credits of world history/civilization/geography;
   • four credits of science including two credits of biology and two credits of chemistry or physics or integrated chemistry-physics or college-preparatory science; and eight credits of additional college-preparatory courses - courses in foreign/world languages, mathematics, physical and biological sciences, and social sciences are recommended.

   If a student’s high school does not offer the courses needed to meet one or more of these course requirements, then alternative college-preparatory courses may be substituted for those courses that are not available.

   If the requirements of a student’s high school diploma preclude satisfying these course requirements, then alternative college-preparatory courses may be substituted where necessary, but the student should satisfy as many of these requirements as possible.

   Indiana residents should complete a Core 40 high school diploma or equivalent, or a Core 40 Academic Honors high school diploma or equivalent. Campuses and degree programs of Indiana University may require courses in addition to those specified above.

3. Academic Abilities, Achievements, Motivation, and Maturity

   Academic success at the college level depends upon a range of factors including not only academic preparation but also verbal, quantitative, and reasoning abilities; academic motivation, work, and persistence; and academic maturity. Accordingly, campuses and programs may, and should, require applicants to submit evidence of these factors. The evidence should include performance on nationally standardized exams (e.g., SAT, ACT, and SAT subject area exams, and ACP exams) and performance in high school (e.g., high school rank, high school grades, and high school GPA), and may include essays, extra-curricular activities, letters of recommendation, community service, work experience, etc. All campuses and programs should follow the guidelines in Section 8 Setting Guidelines for SAT/ACT scores, High School Rank, GPA, and Grades for First-Time Undergraduates.

4. First-Time Undergraduate Students

   Applicants for admission as first-time undergraduate students should have followed or be following a program of study that will meet the standards in Section 2 Academic Preparation and should demonstrate their academic abilities, achievements, motivation, and maturity by the means set forth in the preceding section - Section 3 Academic Abilities, Achievements, Motivation, and Maturity - as adopted by the respective campuses and schools and academic programs to which they apply.

   Admission decisions may also take account of known strengths and weaknesses of applicants’ college-preparatory programs and the trends of applicants’ grades in college-preparatory courses.

   U.S. residents who are not home-schooled should, under normal and ordinary circumstances, complete a high school diploma.

   For applicants who are at least twenty-one years old or have been out of high school three or more years, admission can be based also on factors such as a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the respective campuses and schools and academic programs to which they apply. Applicants who are at least twenty-one years old or have been out of high school three or more years may be admitted without scores on nationally standardized exams.

   For applicants who were home-schooled and/or did not graduate from a high school, admission can be based also on factors such as a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, scores on national standardized exams, maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the respective campuses and schools and academic programs to which they apply.

   Each campus, at its discretion, may admit a student on a probationary basis and/or through faculty sponsorship.

5. External Transfer Students

   Applicants who have previously attended one or more community colleges, colleges, and/or universities should have satisfied, either in high school or in their prior college studies, the course requirements in Section 2 Academic Preparation, as adopted by the respective campuses to which they apply, and must satisfy the following requirements:

   Applicants must submit official transcripts from all institutions previously attended. For applicants who have attended a community college, college or university within the past three years, the transcripts for all recently attended institutions must demonstrate a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4-point scale for Indiana residents and for non-residents for whom there are applicable tuition-reciprocity agreements and at least 2.5 on a 4-point scale for others. For applicants who have not attended a community college, college, or university within the past three years, admission can be based on factors such as a General Educational Development (GED) diploma, maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the respective campuses and schools and academic programs to which they apply.

   Applicants who have fewer than 26 transferable semester hours should also satisfy the guidelines in Section 3 Academic Abilities, Achievements, Motivation, and Maturity as adopted by the campuses to which they apply.

   Campuses and academic programs may have higher standards and specific requirements in addition to those mentioned here.

   Each campus may, at its discretion, admit a student on a probationary basis and/or through faculty sponsorship.

6. Inter-Campus Transfer Students

   Applicants for transfer between campuses of Indiana University must have an Indiana University cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and should have satisfied, either in high school or in their prior college studies, the course requirements in Section 2 Academic Preparation, as adopted by the respective campuses to which they wish to transfer. For applicants who have not attended a community college, college, or university within the past three years, admission can be based on factors such as a maturity, work experience, and military service, as determined by the respective campuses and the schools and academic programs to which they apply.

   Applicants who have fewer than 26 semester hours of Indiana University credits (including accepted transfer credit) should also satisfy the guidelines in Section 3 Academic Abilities, Achievements, Motivation, and Maturity as adopted by the respective campuses and schools and academic programs to which they wish to transfer.

   Campuses and academic programs may have higher standards and specific requirements in addition to those mentioned here.

   Each campus may, at its discretion, admit a student on a probationary basis and/or through faculty sponsorship.

7. Non-Admitted Applicants

   Applicants who are not admitted should be advised of what steps to take in order to be reconsidered at a later date.

8. Setting Guidelines for SAT/ACT Scores, High School Rank, GPA, and Grades for First-Time Undergraduates

   If a campus sets admission guidelines for high school rank, high school grades and GPA, and SAT/ACT scores, then these guidelines should aim to meet both the campus’ need for its students to be adequately prepared and qualified to succeed in the academic work required of its first-time undergraduates and the applicants’ needs to have a realistic indication of the preparations and qualifications required to succeed in the academic work required of first-time undergraduates. Of course, there are not sharp borderlines between the levels of ranks, grades, and scores that are necessary for success (i.e., almost everyone below these levels does not succeed) and the levels that are sufficient for success (i.e., almost everyone above this level succeeds). Rather, there is gray area in between. Each campus, to meet its ethical obligations to its faculty and to its applicants, should aim for a realistic middle ground in its guidelines (if any) for high school rank, high school grades and GPA, and SAT/ACT scores.

   Historically, Indiana University’s goal has been that its first-time undergraduate students should have scored above the median score of all Indiana high school students on the SAT or ACT exams and should have had a high school rank in the upper half of their class if an Indiana resident and in the upper one-third of their class if not an Indiana resident.

9. Responsibilities and Accountability

   As provided for by the Constitution of the Faculty of Indiana University, the faculty of a campus shall have responsibility for setting admission policies, standards, goals, and guidelines for that campus.

   The chief academic officer of a campus shall be responsible for the admission procedures followed on that campus, for ensuring compliance with the admission policies, standards, goals and guidelines adopted by that campus and the Board of Trustees, and for achieving satisfactory levels of student academic quality and success.

Back to top

Reason for Policy

The faculty of each campus shall set the policies and standards for admission of students to that campus consistent with Indiana Code.

In order to establish a minimum level of uniformity among admission policies of campuses of Indiana University and to facilitate inter-campus transfers for the benefit of Indiana residents, the faculties of the campuses of Indiana University are encouraged to follow the template and guidelines set forth in this policy in setting admission policies for their campuses.

Back to top

History

(University Faculty Council, April 28, 1987; January 31, 2006; Board of Trustees, August 4, 1987; March 3, 2006)

Back to top